Death of a Comrade
by Rosalie Duquesne
Summary: Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB.
1. Chapter 1

_**Title: **__Death of a Comrade_

_**Author: **__Rosalie Duquesne_

_**Rating: **__T (very strong)_

_**Summary: **__Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB. Will he be able to do it? With the help of a little blonde friend, maybe it will be a lot easier than he thinks._

_**A/N: **__Wow, it feels damn good to be writing E/C fics again. Sorry I've been on a slight hiatus, but a lot of the fic ideas that I've had for this ship didn't really map out. Case fic got scrapped and the cutesy vacation fic got scrapped even faster, I was in a serious rut with them. My other fics went off but this kinda suffered. Finally, today I found a topic that seemed to be pretty concrete to me :) so I hope yall enjoy it ! Please review ! P.S. the title is a reference to an awesome poem by Martin Carter, a poet from Caribbean. It's meaning plays an important part in understanding this poem. Please read it :D_

_**A/N 2: **__Also I am very sorry if the updates seem to appear randomly, I have just started university and while I am on vacation now I will soon be back in the crazy schedule I refer to as my life. I will try my best to update as often as possible. Okay, enough ranting :) here ya go !_

_**XXX**_

"Just get the hell out! I can do this by myself!"

"Then why the hell did you call me over here? Huh?" the blonde replied smartly, hoping she struck a nerve.

He opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. She wanted to smile smugly, but she knew that it would do nothing to improve their current situation; it would only hinder them even more.

Instead she spoke softly, "Look, Eric. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't even have this information, instead you would be in one hell of a fucking mess with IAB. So will you just listen to me for once? Please?"

Eric looked at her in the eye, her green gaze looking as strong and persuasive as ever. But he knew better than that, he knew better than to give into her. Making the hardest decision of his life he replied to her softly, but icily, his anger evident in his words.

"I don't need you, not now, not ever. Get out of my house."

_**XXX**_

_Two weeks earlier_

"Put your gun down!"

Eric looked across the parking lot to his partner, crouching behind a van, clutching at her arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The suspect had fled the scene, as usual, but he and Calleigh had managed to chase him down to the parking lot of the building. He had taken a shot, grazing Calleigh's left arm.

Now he stood about ten feet from Eric, gun trained on him.

"If I do that then I go to jail."

Eric's gaze moved to him once again, "If you don't your going to end up in the morgue. Your pick."

Breathing heavily, Peter Morgan glanced between the fallen officer and the one in front of him, his mind racing. He couldn't make the choice. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat, his eyes wide with fear. He licked his lips and blinked uncontrollably. His grip on the gun wavered, as he released and re-gripped it over and over.

Fortunately for him, his choice was about to be made a lot easier.

"Why don't you listen to the nice police officer and put the gun on the floor?"

The cool voice came from behind him, startling him quite a bit. He closed his eyes in defeat and slowly bent over to place the firearm onto the concrete floor.

"Good boy, now put your hands behind your head and get on your knees."

He did as he was told and Horatio cuffed him. The redhead then looked up at Eric and nodded toward Calleigh. Not wasting another moment Eric holstered his gun and sprinted to Calleigh's side.

"Cal, you okay?"

She kept her hand on her wound, not wanting any more blood to seep from the wound.

She flipped her hair from her face to look Eric in the eye, "Just a scratch, don't worry about it."

Eric smiled lightly, "Liar. Come on, I'll call Alexx and ask her to fix it up. It's her day off."

Calleigh rolled her eyes but nodded, "Wait, how do you know it's her day off?"

"We were going to have lunch. You coming or not?"

Smiling once again she followed behind him to the hummer, thanking him as he opened the door and helped her in without removing her hand from the wound.

_**XXX**_

"Okay, so we got him for the murder of Catherine Lita. Crime of passion. Found her in bed with another man, got jealous, killed her but Michael is in the ICU now."

Eric nodded at Natalia, "Thanks."

"How's Calleigh?" she asked.

"You know Cal. Usual routine, but Alexx is with her now."

Natalia chuckled, "You know, Delko, you hold the record time for getting her to get medical attention. Not even H can get her to get checked out that fast."

Eric shrugged noncommittally, "I'm done for the day, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later, Delko," Natalia said with a smile before walking off.

Eric rolled his eyes and walked into the locker room, spotting a familiar blonde head trying to open her locker with one hand.

"Need a hand?" he said cheekily.

Calleigh shook her head, "Only if it comes with no corny jokes."

Eric raised his hands in surrender, "These hands have a mind of their own. I can't be held responsible for their actions."

Calleigh let out a breath that sounded more like a laugh, "Just open it for me please?"

Eric smiled and helped her out, doing as she said until her bag was packed.

"So what's the plans for later? Dinner for one?"

She smiled cheekily at him, "Not quite. I have one rather orange haired companion with me tonight."

"You know carrot-top?"

Calleigh slapped him with her good arm, "No. I have Micah to keep me company."

"Your new cat?" Eric scoffed lightly, "I'm sure he's quite the conversationalist."

"You wouldn't know," she replied, picking up her bag, "You've never met him."

"Care to add another chair to that table? Or is three a crowd?"

She turned to walk out, shouting over her shoulder as she opened the door, "Seven-thirty, don't be late!"

_**XXX**_

Calleigh bustled around the kitchen, hopping from the pot on the stove, to the vegetables that needed chopping on the counter. While she moved, her hips swayed to the song that came from the music she had blasting from her iPod dock.

"Soy loca con mi tigre…"

She sang along to the music as she continued to chop, a knocking sound audible in the distance.

"It's open, Eric!" she said, checking the time, five past seven.

She heard the door open and close and the heavy footsteps that accompanied her male friend.

"Something smells amazing."

She heard his voice before she saw him enter the room, as her eyes remained on the task she had at hand. She smiled as she looked up and saw him, in fresh clothes, a plain white tee and jeans. She too had changed, sporting lounge pants and a thin strapped top that ended a bit higher than the pants, leaving a small potion of her creamy skin visible.

"Paella," she replied.

"Mmm, my favourite."

"I know," she said, looking up at him.

"You did this for me?" he asked, a hand poised over his chest, "I feel special."

Calleigh scoffed, albeit a tiny smile on her face, "Well don't. I'm in the Spanish mood tonight."

Eric pursed his lips, "You didn't have to burst my bubble there, Cal."

She shrugged, "It needed bursting. Can you set the table for me, please?"

Eric nodded and walked into the dining room with the mats he pulled from the drawers in the kitchen. As he walked back into the kitchen for the plates, his phone rang.

"Delko."

"_Mister Delko? This is Anna, from Dade-Memorial."_

Eric froze in his spot, "What happened?"

"_Your sister and her fiancé were admitted to the hospital about ten minutes ago following a house fire."_

"Are they okay?"

"_I'd prefer to tell you in person, sir. Is it possible for you to come to the hospital?"_

"I'll be there in ten minutes," he said quickly, hanging up the phone.

"You'll be where in ten?" Calleigh said, hand on her hip as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

"María's and David are in the hospital, I got to go," he said in a rush, gathering his coat and car keys from the table.

"Go quickly, I'll meet you there."

He looked back at her, "Thanks, Cal."

_**XXX**_

Eric's head was spinning. He rubbed his forehead as he walked to the nearest chair.

"_I am so sorry, mister Delko."_

How in the world could this happen? A house fire? Was it an accident? Did they accidentally leave the stove on?

"_The injuries sustained by your sister and her fiancé were too severe to save them."_

His sister, his older sister, his protector, his _only _sister is now dead. He was the only living Delko now. The only one to continue the bloodline. He scoffed, _And I can't even tell the woman I love that I want to be with her. _He rubbed his eyes as the bits and pieces of the conversation came back to him.

"_He suffered third degree burns to the upper and lower torso, arms and legs."_

"_Miss Delko was in the room from which the fire originated, there was no possible way to save her."_

"_Mister Marks was not stable when he arrive and thus surgery was very difficult. Unfortunately he did not survive, as his injuries were too great."_

"_I am sorry, sir. Is there any other family member we can call?"_

"Mister Delko? Sir?"

A hand on his shoulder brought Eric from his train of thought. A police officer looked down at him, "Uh, miss Delko's daughter- your niece- she's in exam room four. She made it out of the fire with minor injuries. I think mister Marks got her outside before going back in for your sister, sir."

_Isla's alive? _He thought to himself.

He got out of his seat, completely ignoring the officer now and quickly made his way to the ER. He stopped at the front desk and asked, "My niece, Isla Martinez, where is she?"

"Over there," the nurse said, pointing to the curtain behind him.

Without bothering to thank her he rushed over to the curtain and yanked it open, startling the occupants behind it. A young black-haired girl, blue and green streaks across her head, jumped almost a mile into the air. The doctor stitching up her arm gave Eric a look, to which Eric apologized.

"Tío Eric!" the teenager exclaimed, happy to see a family member.

"Hola cariña. ¿Cómo estás?"

"¿Donde está mamí? Y David?"

Eric's face visibly fell; he had no idea what to tell the girl. He opened his mouth and closed it, the only thing that came out was, "Lo siento, cariña…"

Tears welled up in her green eyes, a trait from her father, and her bottom lip quivered. She closed her eyes and the tears flowed freely down her face. Eric moved in slowly, bending over to her side, allowing her to lean into his embrace as sobs wreaked her body.

"Sweetheart, I know it's a lot to take in, but you have to sit still so the doctor can stitch you up, okay?"

Isla sniffles and looks her uncle in the eye, nodding softly. Less than a moment later, a familiar blonde head pops behind the curtain, "Eric?"

His gaze is torn away from his niece to his partner, eyebrows raised.

"Can I, uh- can I talk to you for a sec?"

Eric nods and looks back to his niece, he leans over and whispers something into her ear, placing a kiss on her temple. He follows Calleigh and closes the curtain behind him. He runs a hand down his face, "What's up, Cal?"

"After you left, Horatio called. There was a murder on 11th and Pine."

His eyes snapped up to meet hers, "That's-"

"María's place, I know."

"I thought it was an accident."

Calleigh shook her head sadly, "I'm so sorry, Eric."

"My sister was murdered."

She placed a hand on his arm, "We're going to do everything we can. We _will _catch whoever did this, Eric."

Eric looked at her intently, a fire in his eyes she had never witnessed before. He spoke up, his voice laced with pain, "I'll make sure of it."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Title: **__Death of a Comrade_

_**Author: **__Rosalie Duquesne_

_**Rating: **__T (very strong)_

_**Summary: **__Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB. Will he be able to do it? With the help of a little blonde friend, maybe it will be a lot easier than he thinks._

_**A/N: **__I have to say, due to the fact that I haven't written E/C fics in a while I was surprised to get even one review...far less the notifications I got for story alert and author alert…so I have a lot of thanks for you guys ! Even though I have not been very loyal towards you guys I am very happy that you still want to read my stories :) The story is going to be a little fluffy in this chp, at least for now. The drama is soon to come, do not fear :P So without further ado, here's the next chp ! Enjoy ! And please review !_

_**A/N 2: **__Forensic Kitteh I laughed so hard at your review…you really made my night :) hope that you have extra popcorn…cuz it's gonna get juicy really soon ;)_

_**XXX**_

"Eric?"

The latino looked up reluctantly at his boss, face etched in pain. Horatio removed his sunglasses and looked down at the floor, "Can I talk to you for one moment please?"

Eric looked down at the sleeping teenager in his lap and back at Horatio expectantly.

"She can continue sleeping in the break room. I'll ask Natalia to keep an eye on her."

Eric nodded and carefully picked her up and followed Horatio into the break room, where Natalia already sat waiting. Eric placed her on the long couch and leaned back. He took a short moment to brush her hair out of her face, reveling in how much she resembled her mother, his sister. Another tragic loss in the Delko family. He could not help but wonder when his family would get a break from all of the pain and despair that had engulfed their family. First it was Marisol's cancer, then her death, then Eric found out about his birth certificate, which was quickly followed by the confusion with his real father and the Russian mob and what it caused within his family. Now María's dead. _Murdered. _Eric bit his lip and stood up slowly, he bowed his head and exited the room, Horatio following behind him after giving Natalia a thankful look.

Horatio placed a hand on his shoulder and led him into one of the interrogation rooms where Calleigh sat, her hands perched atop the glass desk, fingers intertwined. She brought them to her face to cover her mouth as the two men entered.

"Hey, Eric."

Eric didn't reply. That didn't surprise Calleigh one bit.

"We just have a couple of questions for you," she said softly, "You know the drill."

Eric let out a breath and closed his eyes.

"You okay to answer them?"

He nodded, eyes still closed, "Let's just get this over with."

"Okay," she whispered.

"Who is Isla's biological father?"

Eric winced, _Weill didn't they just dive in there._

"Umm, Victor Rámos."

"What happened to him and miss Delko?"

Eric never got used to hearing someone refer to María as _miss Delko. _It sounded too formal. Especially for a preschool teacher. She was the light of everyone's life, everyone respected her and, as such, she respected everyone else. She was one of the people who reveled in informal settings, she _hated _when people called her 'miss Delko'. Everyone called her María, even her students called her 'Tía María'. Eric wouldn't lie, the first time he heard one of them call her that he laughed for what felt like hours. He teased her constantly, but secretly loved it. Victor didn't.

"They were together for about nine months when she found out she was pregnant with Isla. He seemed genuinely happy about it. He took her to all the doctor's appointments and helped her with everything she could ever need until Isla was born," he said, finally able to get out his real feelings about the situation that his beautiful sister found herself in. For years he and his family had to keep their opinions to themselves, because she seemed genuinely happy, "Then the beating started."

Calleigh's head shot up in surprise. "How- how bad was it?"

The sincerity in Calleigh's voice almost took Eric back, she sounded as if she was asking as a concerned friend, and not as a cop.

"It wasn't very bad, but it was noticeable. She had bruises in places he thought no one could see, but he wasn't careful enough. She was never in the hospital or anything like that, but the emotional scars were enough for her. When Isla turned two we finally told her how much we hated him. Told her that he doesn't deserve her, that she's too good for him. But she didn't believe us."

Calleigh bit her lip and reluctantly made her notes, not able to fathom how this could happen to María. She had met her a few times when she and Eric had a more stable relationship. She was a delightful woman, not to sound clichéd. She was genuine, always cheerful, never let anything get to her if it wasn't worth her time. How anyone could beat her made no sense to the blonde.

"She stayed with him until Isla turned seven, when he got back into drugs. She didn't want Isla to be brought up in that kind of environment. So the relationship had ended then, for good."

"When did she meet David?" Horatio asked after a pause.

Eric did the math in his head. _If Isla just turned thirteen then they would be together for three years…_

"When Isla turned ten, three years ago. Met him through a close family friend he worked with. We were reluctant at first, about the fact that María started to date him. But as we got to know him, we found him to be a pretty good guy. Stable job, good family, good morals. He kept her together over the past three years, and we have never been so grateful for that. He was like her angel."

Calleigh smiled softly at the happy ending. _However long it lasted. _As that thought popped into her head the smile disappeared.

"When did they get engaged?"

"Last May, it wasn't much of a surprise though. He said that he knew he was going to marry her since the moment he first laid eyes on her."

Eric's gaze landed on Calleigh deep green orbs, staring far into them. Calleigh suppressed a shudder as Eric continued.

He held their gaze as he continued, "He said the moment he saw her he knew he was going to marry her, the moment he heard her voice he fell in love with her, and the more he got to know her, the deeper in love he fell. They were soul mates, he said. Meant to find each other, not matter how long it took. Said he waited for her his whole life."

Calleigh took in a deep breath, her gaze unwavering, "Guess love at first sight does exist."

Eric's eyebrows raised slightly, not visible to Horatio, but definitely visible to the blonde whose eyes were trained on his face.

"That was her happy ending, and no one was more happy about that than the rest of us," he said, voice getting lower with each word, "Then this happened."

Calleigh broke the gaze and looked down at her notepad. She then spoke up, "Is it possible that Victor came back for Isla? As vengeance?"

Eric shook his head, "He died of an overdose about four months back. María went to the funeral, ignoring our feelings once again."

_That sounds like María, _Calleigh thought, smiling internally.

"Do you know of anyone who might want to harm either María or David? Exes? People they may have stepped on in the past?"

Eric shook his head, "María doesn't like to piss people off, you know that," he added, causing Calleigh's cheeks to tinge a bit. He didn't mean to say it, but it made his point stronger, not matter if their boss was in their presence.

"Anyone who didn't like her, for whatever reason, she severed all ties with them completely."

"What about David?" Horatio spoke up.

Eric shrugged, "He is- was exactly like María: never pissed people off, and if he did he was man enough to go up to them and fix whatever problem they had with him. Otherwise, he never spoke of any problems with anyone."

Calleigh nodded, "That's good for now. You did good, Eric."

Eric smiled softly, "Can I go now? I want to get Isla out of here."

Calleigh looked at Horatio and he nodded, "Yes, you can. But we also have reason to believe that Isla was a target as well. So there will be a patrol car outside your house twenty-four/ seven. Until we know more about the situation, okay?"

Eric nodded, knowing that arguing with the redhead was more futile than getting Calleigh to quit her job.

"Okay. Calleigh will follow you home and help you get settled in. No arguments, Eric," he added upon seeing Eric open his mouth in protest.

Eric sighed, "Come on."

_**XXX**_

Eric opened the door to the spare bedroom he had in his flat, "This will be you room, Isla."

Isla walked around the room, an unreadable expression on her face; at least to Eric. He placed her bags on the floor and spoke up once again, "Are you hungry?"

Isla nodded, her back still towards Eric. "How's pizza sound?"

"Fine," she said.

He sighed and left the room, the two girls left in there. Calleigh let out a breath and walked toward the young girl, hoping that this would help.

"Iz, can I talk to you for a second?"

Isla's head spun around, a worried look on her face, effectively startling Calleigh, "What's wrong?"

"My mom used to call me that," she said timidly.

Calleigh rolled her lips, "I'm sorry, I won't-"

Isla shook her head, "No, it's okay. I mean I should get used to it right?"

Calleigh looked at her, bewildered.

Isla rolled her lips into a line, "Your tío Eric's girlfriend aren't you? I should get used to you and whatever you feel comfortable with calling me. I don't want to put you guys out anymore than I already have."

Calleigh eyebrows raised, _Damn she's pretty mature for a thirteen year-old. _She sat down on the bed and motioned for the younger girl to follow.

"You know, the first time I met you, the only thing I could think of was how lucky your mom is, to have such a beautiful daughter. You are very sincere, considerate and smart, just like she was."

Isla blushed, causing Calleigh to smile as she continued, "You even look and act exactly like her. I know how much you miss her, I know how much you want her to come back. How much you wish this had never happened. But what you need to know is that she'll always be with you. In here," she placed a hand on Isla's chest.

"I know that your uncle Eric may be a bit awkward when it comes to girl stuff, or anything remotely close for that matter," Isla chuckled, "But I want you to know that he's trying his best, okay? He loves you, so much, more than he can say. He would do anything for his sobrina. So I need you to bear with him for the first couple of day, he'll get better at it, don't worry."

Isla smiled and nodded. Calleigh pulled her into her side for a small hug, "And if you need anything don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

"Thanks, miss Duquesne."

Calleigh smiled and pulled away, "Remember what I told you the first time we met?"

Isla's eyebrows furrowed together as she wrought her brain. Less than a second later she smiled, "Thanks, aunt Calleigh."

"No problem, sweetie."

_**XXX**_

"Tío Eric!"

Eric jumped up and sprinted into Isla's room, almost breaking down the door in the process, "What? What happened?"

"Can I have aunt Calleigh's number please?"

Eric's shoulders slumped, "You almost gave me a heart attack, cariña."

She wrinkled her nose, "Lo siento, but I need the number please."

"What's so important?"

"Girl stuff," she said, knowing it would stop him in his tracks.

She smiled as he recited the number off the top of his head and dialed the number into the cordless phone she held in her hand. Eric left the room to give her some privacy, shutting the door behind him.

"_Hello?"_

"Did you know that uncle Eric knows your phone number by heart?"

Calleigh chuckled on the other end, _"Hey, Iz. What's up?"_

"Umm, I think I may have a problem. One that requires a girl to help, and not uncle Eric."

"_I thought you said that he's gotten better…"_

"He has, but it's only been two days, and I really don't feel comfortable talking to him about this."

"_About what?"_

"Uncle Tom paid me a visit."

"_Uncle who? Did someone try to hurt you? Wh-"_

"No aunt Calleigh! Tom, as in, _timeofmonth," _she whispered that last part.

"_What? Iz, speak up."_

She sighed loudly, "I think I got my period."

"_Ohh!"_

She heard Calleigh laughing on the other end, "It's not funny!"

"_No it's not, but uncle Tom is hilarious."_

Isla rolled her eyes, "Can you please help me?"

"_I'll pick up some stuff and be right over."_

Within fifteen minutes Calleigh appeared at the flat, grocery bag in hand. Eric opened the door and blinked a couple of times, "Hey, Cal. What are you doing here?"

Calleigh smiled and patted him on the arm, "Girl stuff."

She then walked off and left him standing there in the doorway as bewildered as ever.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Title: **__Death of a Comrade_

_**Author: **__Rosalie Duquesne_

_**Rating: **__T (very strong)_

_**Summary: **__Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB. Will he be able to do it? With the help of a little blonde friend, maybe it will be a lot easier than he thinks._

_**A/N: **Sorry for the wait again guys, the next chp is in progress already so the more you guys review the more i get inspired to finish it :) Btw i wrote this song listening to Kangaroo Cry by Blue October (an AWESOME band) i recommend that you listen to it while reading, might make you feel to cry but i promise it's worth it. __Okay, so this chp is going to be less fluffy. It's time to get back to the case. Now that Isla's settled down a bit, it should be easier for Eric right? Who thinks so? Hah…_

_Please don't forget to review !_

_**XXX**_

"Damnit!"

"Eric, calm down," Ryan said, a bit forcefully this time.

"Don't tell me what to do Wolfe!"

"Eric!" The small, but strong voice echoed throughout the walls of the lab, followed by a deafening silence.

Calleigh spoke up again, "Arguing will solve nothing. Ryan, go and check Natalia, maybe she got somewhere with the BOLO."

Ryan made a face, but eventually left the room. Calleigh then turned to face Eric, a look of pure disappointment on her face, but he couldn't care less, not at that moment.

They had made progress in the case. Found that María had gotten into an altercation with one of the parents from the school she worked for. She had voiced her opinion on what fathers should and shouldn't say in front of their sons, which got on Mark's nerves. According to the complaint she had made, he had pushed María into the wall and proceeded to shout in her face. Punching the wall behind her and threatening to come after her if she ever told him how to raise his son again. Unfortunately, he had slipped through their fingers when they showed up to his house and he fled the scene on his motorcycle. However, there were no signs of a child ever being in the house.

Upon further research they found that the wife had filed for a divorce as well as a restraining order, stating that he was abusive. _No shit, _Eric had thought. They were still in the process of locating him when Eric had found out about them losing him in the first place.

"I told you about mister Brash to keep you in the loop, not so that you can berate Ryan and tell us how to do out jobs!"

"It would help if you paid more attention to the case! You would ha-"

"What, Eric?" she cut him off, fire evident in her voice, "We would have been able to predict that he was going to run away? We would have caught the person who did this by now and you and Isla can live happily ever after? It doesn't work like that, Eric, and you know it!"

She sighed as she saw Eric deflate slightly, "I said I would keep you updated only if you could handle it. Obviously you-"

"I can control myself Calleigh."

"Evidently not! You're not even supposed to be in the lab today, yet here you are yelling at Ryan for something no one outside the case even knows about!"

Eric sighed, "I-"

"I know, Eric. I know how bad you hurt, and how bad you want to put this bastard behind bars. But what you fail to realize is how hard we are already working. Natalia hasn't gotten any sleep in the past twenty-four hours, and Ryan hasn't gone home since we got the lead on Brash; which was two days ago. And I have been alternating between here and your place since you brought Isla home. You just need to calm down and let us do our jobs. Don't you have a funeral to go to?"

Eric looked down at his suit and back up at the blonde. He opened his mouth and closed it once nothing came out. Calleigh took a step closer to him and placed a hand on his chest, knowing that the two of them needed some form of physical contact, but pretending to straighten his jacket.

"I know you don't particularly want to go, but you know you have to. Not only for María and David, but for Isla. You niece who needs the closest thing she has to a father right about now."

"I know, bu-"

"Yes it's hard, but that's what your friends are for. That's what I'm here for," she added, feeling brave, "I'm going to be right next to you the whole time."

"Thanks, Cal."

"What would you do without me?" she said cheekily.

Eric rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance while thinking, _That is one hell of a good question._

_**XXX**_

A tear rolled down Eric's cheek as he watched his sister's coffin being lowered into the ground. Isla was buried deep into his side, sobbing violently into his jacket, clutching on for dear life. He held her close to him, pressing light kisses to the top of her head, ever so often. But he couldn't take it anymore. This was the second time he had to bury a sister. The _second _time. Who in the world would possibly be able to say that?

His lower lip quivered as he realized that he no longer had any siblings. That the people that he grew up with, that gave him hell, that were there for him when he needed them, that he confided in, were now gone. Tears welled up in his eyes once again, but this time, he had no will power to hold them back. The flowed freely down his cheeks and a sob escaped his lips. He closed his eyes tightly and willed it all to end.

He then felt someone take his hand and lace their fingers. Opening his eyes he saw a blonde head through the wall of tears in his eyes. Calleigh squeezed his hand while placing the other hand on his arm, rubbing it soothingly up and down. He squeezed her hand back, grateful to have her there for him, and for Isla. The teenager and grown fond of his partner, despite the fact that she believed them to be a couple, no matter how many times they had denied it. This, however, only served to prove her point.

Calleigh turned to Eric once the funeral had finished, "Do you want to go? I don't think you or Isla can handle much more."

Eric glanced down at the teenager who seemed to have grown from his side. He nodded in approval and informed his parents. Not too soon later, the three were on their way back to Eric's place, where, hopefully, they would be able to calm down.

_**XXX**_

About an hour later the three were in Eric's apartment, Isla fast asleep on the couch, her head in Eric's lap. She had tearstains down both her flushed cheeks and her breathing was now calm as she found herself in a deep sleep. Eric's gaze was focused on nothing in particular, his head facing the window. Despite the mood of the day, the sun shone brightly, the sky was bluer than ever and the birds chirped excessively.

Eric just wanted to go in his room and curl up under his blanket, shut out the world. Calleigh returned from the washroom, her eyes on the pair on the couch. A deafening silence filled the room, the only noise being Calleigh's shoes as she walked over to the couch.

"Have either of you eaten for the day?"

Eric's gaze remained on the window as he spoke up, very softly, "Isla had toast for breakfast. It was all I could get her to eat."

"At least she ate. What about you?" she asked.

At his lack of a response she took it upon herself to become the matron figure of the household for the time being. The two were hurting, a lot, they needed one constant in their lives, and she was willing to make the sacrifices. She even ruled herself out as helpful to the case due to bias, seeing that she had a previous relationship to the victim.

"I'm going to whip us up some lunch, okay?"

Eric's head turned to face the blonde, his mouth open, a response quickly formed on his lips.

She held up a hand, "If I don't you won't eat, will you?"

Eric relented and let out a breath, "Not too sure what there is in the cupboards anyway. Supposed to go to the grocery this weekend."

Calleigh smiled, "I'm sure I can find something."

Eric rolled his eyes at her persistence, annoyed, but glad for it. He settled back into the couch, stroking Isla's head. Soon he found himself drifting off, the soft sound of shuffling coming from the kitchen.

_**XXX**_

Isla slowly opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the lack of light. She looked around and noticed that it was now dark, the lights in the house dimmed slightly. She lifted her head off of Eric's lap and stretched her limbs. Her head turned to the direction of the kitchen as she heard a pot clang against the counter. Curious, she got up off the couch and walked down the hall, hearing the tap turn on followed by sounds similar to a person washing the dishes.

Turning the corner she sees a familiar blonde head and lets out a breath, "Aunt Calleigh, you scared the crap out of me."

Calleigh spun on the spot, hands dripping, sponge in gripped tightly, "Iz, you're up. Sorry about that. Just washing up here."

"How long have I been out?"

"Since the car ride home," Calleigh smiled softly, "Eric didn't have the heart to wake you."

"I guess I should return the favour. How come you're still here?"

"I decided to make you guys some lunch, but when I came out the two of you were out like lights. Decided to take a nap of my own. Got up about five minutes ago, saw the mess in here and thought I would help out."

Isla smiled, "You and tío Eric practically act like you're married, sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"

Calleigh shook her head and avoided the question, "Hungry?"

Isla rolled her eyes but got the hint, "What did ya make? Is it edible?"

Calleigh shook her head, "I'll have you know, little miss, that I happen to be an amazing chef."

Isla laughed out loud, "Mac and cheese doesn't really count as a gourmet meal."

Calleigh narrowed her eyes at the young girl, who gave in after a moment of the intense green-eyed gaze.

"Okay, I give. What's for dinner?"

"Arroz con pollo y plátanos."

Isla froze, halfway down onto one of the chairs in the kitchen.

"It was all Eric had in his cupboards and I found a pack of chicken in the freezer, so I made do with what I was given. Hope you- What's wrong?"

Isla shook her head and wiped the non-existent tears from her under her eyes, sniffling, "Nothing, don't worry."

Calleigh sighed and walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen before coming to a stop next to the teenager. She placed a hand under her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to look the blonde in the face.

Calleigh took this moment to take in the young girl's features. For thirteen years old, Isla looked very mature. Her resemblance to her mother was so uncanny it was almost scary. She had the same wavy dark brown tresses, the metallic blue and green streaks appearing ever so often. She had the large brown eyes that Calleigh could only describe as the Delko eyes. Each and every one of them had the same large, deep, dark brown orbs that could make Marilyn Manson melt. Her high cheekbones, slender nose, full lips and angelic voice anything short of beautiful would be an apt description for Isla. Her pleasant, obedient and polite attitude only served to prove that point. Calleigh was sure that María had taken extreme pride in her one and only daughter, and the young woman she had become.

"Sweetie," Calleigh started softly, "You can talk to me, you know that right?"

Isla looked at Calleigh and nodded slowly. Closing her eyes she allowed the tears to flow freely down her face. She leaned forward and buried her face in Calleigh's shirt, clutching at it with her right hand.

"Mamí, she used to make that for me whenever I got upset…she knew it is- was my favourite," she choked out before she collapsed into Calleigh, sobs wreaking her body for what seemed to be the millionth time for that day. She was tired of crying, tired of feeling weak, tired of having everyone dote over her like she couldn't do anything. But the truth was that she only had the energy to do one thing: cry. All of the energy that once inhabited her body, was now gone, replaced by an empty, hopeless feeling; one she _despised._

"I _hate…_feeling like this," she said softly.

Calleigh placed a hand atop her head and softly stroked her hair, "I know, honey. I know."

She hugged the young girl closer to her and continued to stroke her head, attempting to console her. She had no idea what she could possibly do to make her situation any better, but she was determined enough to stick around to find out. No matter what it took. She loved this little girl like family. And she'll be damned if anything stood in her way.


End file.
